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Paperclip Maximizer Classroom Packet

A classroom-ready Paperclip Maximizer lesson packet for high school AI ethics, with objectives, materials, discussion flow, teacher notes, and related resources.

Students investigate a famous AI safety scenario by auditing an optimizer's goal, identifying missing values, and debating how schools should set guardrails for automated systems.

What can go wrong when an optimizer pursues a goal without enough human values built into the system?

Grades 9-12

45-60 minutes

Explain why a narrow objective can produce harmful outcomes.

Distinguish efficiency from ethical success.

Use evidence from the scenario to propose better constraints.

Keep the discussion grounded in goal design, not fear of robots.

Push students to name tradeoffs: safety, learning, privacy, efficiency, fairness, and autonomy.

Use this as a bridge to the AI Use Rubric or policy activity if your class is discussing real school tools.